


Silver Linings are a Joy Forever

by kristsune



Category: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, No one can convince me otherwise, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, and i write a lot of fluff, because this is my fic and I do what I want, i still stand by the fact that jon is an animal lover, its about the cows, jon and martin making friends with local queer farmers, keats featured in my fic? more likely than you think, like for reals i think i got cavities writing this, multiple good cows, the end of 160? i dont know her
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-14
Updated: 2019-12-14
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:15:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,330
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21794401
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kristsune/pseuds/kristsune
Summary: Jon and Martin make friends, some of which are cows, and are very good at naming them.
Relationships: Martin Blackwood/Jonathan Sims
Comments: 24
Kudos: 179





	Silver Linings are a Joy Forever

**Author's Note:**

  * For [HowShouldIKnowboutLife](https://archiveofourown.org/users/HowShouldIKnowboutLife/gifts).



> Okay, this is 100% thanks to [this post](https://howshouldiknowboutlife.tumblr.com/post/189071733782) and multiple conversations about it with El <3   
> Sylvia is our new fave cow and I have named my new cow tin after her which can be seen [here.](https://kristsune.tumblr.com/post/189667556844/hevy-loved-my-new-tin-with-a-very-good-cow-on-the)

Jon and Martin were out for a walk around their usual circuit. It wasn’t quite sunny, but it also wasn’t raining or horribly overcast either, so really, the best they could have hoped for October in Scotland. 

“Could we stop by the barn on the way back?” 

Martin chuckled and gently squeezed Jon’s hand, “Of course we can. You want to stop and say hello to Sylvia?”

Jon felt his face heat; he wasn’t embarrassed, not  _ really _ , but who would have figured that fluffy highland cows would bring Jon so much joy? To be fair, Martin loved the cows just as much, but it was a bit more…  _ expected _ of him. Martin loved fluffy  _ spiders _ for christ’s sake. It was only natural he’d love fluffy cows too. 

Jon smiled up at Martin, “Yes, please.”

Martin smiled back with a gentle, “Of Course.” Jon couldn’t get enough of being on the receiving end of that smile. It was so warm, and soft, and just for him. 

When they got to the barn, just a few cows were in attendance, Sylvia being one of them. She walked right up to Jon as soon as she saw him, nuzzling his hands and pushing her nose against his chest. Jon couldn’t help the soft sound - and following laughter - that escaped him when she did. 

Jon started petting behind her ears, and along her neck, “Yes, hello, Sylvia. I know, it’s been  _ ages _ since we last saw you. A whole two days.” 

Martin had hung back back near the entrance to talk to the farmer, Olivia, who enjoyed their visits, but also enjoyed exchanging gossip with Martin. Which was to say, she loved gossiping  _ to _ Martin, who was always an avid listener, who knew exactly how to reply. Jon was just glad Martin was willing to do most of the direct interactions. Jon was still afraid he would accidentally pull a statement out of someone, so generally just left him to it. People found him difficult to look at anyway, nevermind talk to, so it worked out best for everyone. 

But Jon could still hear them as he lavished Sylvia in the attention she deserved.

“Not to pry, but where did you get the name Sylvia?” Jon was  _ sure _ she was leaning against the wooden frame, she always did.

“Oh! I-is that okay that we call her that?” Jon could hear Martin fidgeting with his sleeves like he tended to do when he was nervous, worried they’d offended her in some way.

“Of course! Me and Kelly are terrible at naming them. I was just curious. Sylvia… suits her.” 

“Well, Jon and I are - ah - taking a break from uhhh… a bad work environment. It was - not great... for quite some time. But coming here, and finding out how friendly all your cows were. It-it was a bit of a silver lining for us. And she really took a shining to Jon,” Martin shrugged, and Jon heard the fond smile in his voice “And Silver Lining just kind of became Sylvia.” 

Oliva hummed, “I like it, and as long as you are  _ careful _ , you both have free reign of the barn. Cows really  _ can _ be dangerous, but you both seem to actually have your wits about you. I gotta get back to Kelly, but there’s a newbie down at the other end of the barn you two should definitely say hi to before you leave. Maybe you can find a good name for him too.” 

Jon heard Martin walk up behind him as he heard Olivia leave the barn. He gave Sylvia a pat on the nose when she inspected him, but rather quickly brought her attention back to Jon. He smiled sheepishly over at Martin, secretly delighted at how much Sylvia simply enjoyed his attention. 

Martin scoffed, but it was closer to a huff of laughter, “Fine, be that way.  _ I’m _ going to go visit the newbie, you two can just stay here and enjoy each other’s company.” 

Jon waited until Martin took a few steps before stage whispering, “Now that we’re alone…”

“I heard that!” said with mock indigence. 

Jon snickered softly.

“I heard that too!” Jon heard the laughter sneak into his voice, almost breaking on the ‘too’. 

He continued to scritch behind Sylvia’s ear, giving soft encouragement and praise. But only a few minutes later Jon heard Martin from the other side of the barn, not  _ quite _ yelling, but there was a tone in his voice that worried him, “Jon! You need to come here,  _ right _ now!”

Sylvia lowed as Jon jogged towards Martin’s voice, “I’ll be back!” She snorted, and then was out of sight. What Jon encountered when he found Martin, was not entirely what he expected. 

“Martin?” Jon was always careful to not ask questions if not completely necessary, and Martin seemed to have a knack of knowing what Jon was asking just by the manner in which he said his name. 

“I’m okay. You just. You need to see this.” Martin moved just enough as he turned to look at him with a soft smile, and unshed tears in his eyes, so Jon could see the baby cow standing in front of him. The little one was resting his head in a pile of hay allowing Martin to rest his hand just under his chin and gently rub his thumb along the side of his nose. 

It was quite possibly  _ the _ cutest thing Jon had ever witnessed. And that was saying something; Jon had played with the Admiral when he was a kitten. 

“Jon. He’s just - letting me pet him, and his nose is wiggling, and he’s so  _ soft _ . I wish I could pet him forever.”

Jon walked up behind Martin and put his arms around his waist. “Here, lift your other arm.” Martin did so and then rested his free hand on top of Jon’s, holding him close. Jon pulled out his phone with his free hand, and held it in front of their hands and hit record, he couldn’t see, but he Knew it was the perfect spot. 

Martin had taken numerous pictures of Jon with cows, but mostly with Syliva, because she usually gently bullied the other cows out of the way until she was closest to Jon anytime he was near. Jon loved going through them; one of Sylvia between the two of them was his phone background. So really, it was only fair that Jon got something for Martin in return.

“Endymion.” Martin said softly, still petting the side of the cows nose.

“I’m sorry?” Jon’s voice was slightly muffled with the way he was pressed against his back.

“Olivia said we could name him, and I was just thinking, we could name him Endymion, Endy for short.” 

Jon paused a moment, before softly reciting: “ A thing of beauty is a joy for ever: Its loveliness increases; it will never Pass into nothingness; but still will keep.”

Martin gasped softly, hand squeezing Jon’s, “Jonathan Sims, did you just recite Keats to me?” 

Jon felt his face heat, “I - uhh - I may have?” 

“And to think, I was convinced I couldn’t love you anymore than I already did.” Martin had already been close to tears, but now Jon could hear how choked up he was. 

Jon… still had a difficult time using those words. But, he was also  _ infinitely _ lucky in the fact that Martin didn’t need to hear those specific words to know that Jon  _ did _ love him, very much so. Instead he kissed the middle of Martin’s back and hugged him a little tighter. 

They stayed like that until Kelly and Olivia came back for feeding time. They both heartily approved of Endy’s new name, and reiterated that they were welcome to visit anytime. They left - after saying goodbye to Sylvia of course - holding hands and smiling. They wouldn’t be able to stay here forever, but their respite in a small cottage in the Scottish Highlands really was their silver lining. 

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to stop by and say hi on [tumblr!](https://kristsune.tumblr.com/)
> 
> And before any of you @ me, if Jon knew that Martin's poetry was trying to be like Keats, he would absolutely have to be familiar with Keats to know that. Besides, as El pointed out, if its important to Martin, Jon is going to know about it.


End file.
